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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Sometimes there is a story that can be life changing. Today, I offer you this post as a source of inspiration and as a reminder to appreciate the moment, to always “see” your children, to take risks and to finish what you have started, despite all odds.

You are aware of the story of Cameron Gallagher, the sixteen year old who died moments after finishing the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach in March. She was the niece of my dear friend, Clair.

In the picture below, Cameron is at mile six of the race. It is unfathomable what would occur seven miles later as her parents watched her finish the race and gently caught her as she fell to the ground.

What you may not know is that before Cameron died, she struggled with depression, so much so that she missed school sometimes. Despite her struggles, she worked hard to lift her own spirits by journaling and finding inspirational quotes form songs, books and magazines. She got the idea to organize a 5K named Speak Up to help others struggling with childhood depression and to raise awareness.

After Cameron’s death, her parents, David and Grace, found stacks of papers in Cameron’s bedroom indicating that, unbeknownst to them, Cameron had been working on the 5K. She had reached out to sponsors and had done much of the legwork to put this race into place. Cameron’s parents decided that Cameron’s vision needed to still be fulfilled.

Today, just two and a half months after Cameron’s tragic death, there is a launch party in Richmond for the Speak Up 5K, which will occur in September. One motto of the race is, “Let us finish what Cameron started.”

Race organizes from the Shamrock Half Marathon where Cameron died, have assembled the actual finish line where she collapsed for the launch party of the race. Those inspirational quotes that Cameron used as a life line are displayed on large screens in Cameron’s own handwriting. I just wish I could be there.

Since Cameron’s death, my friend Clair has told me that she believes Cameron was a sacrifice for a greater cause. She knows that Cameron has something to say and more to do. While she is not here in the flesh to make this happen, her actions before she died and her remaining determined spirit are ensuring that her work will still be done.

A statement from Cameron’s parents has made me look at my own children differently:

“We knew our Cameron the way other parents know their children. We know them as beautiful but flawed, caring but sometimes selfish and often aloof. We rarely get to see our children the way other people see them. We are so busy raising and educating them that we rarely get to see the positive effect they have on other people.”

In her death, what continues to be Cameron’s life commitment? (from the Speak Up 5K site):

Fight the good fight, Finish the race, and Keep the faith. And do it with a smile, every day.

Cameron woke up every day and had to fight to finish her race, and she needed faith to begin her fight. Learn from Cameron. Use her story to take your life’s burden and fight the good fight. Use her will-power and commitment to finish what you’ve started.

And most importantly, use her vision to have faith in your future. Have hope, be kind, and smile.

SUAR

If you would like to sign up for the Speak Up 5K (either to run it in Richmond or to run it virtually), go HERE.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Honestly, in this day and age of everyone’s life being so perfect on Facebook, etc, I love reading people’s confessions about the imperfections and “real life” issues of their days. We are all human and our lives are never, ever completely perfect. So, let’s let it out a bit and connect over just how not perfect we are.

1. I went on an 8.5 mile run today in 82 degree heat and did not bring water. I have no excuse for dehydrating myself and pushing over the kids in the park running through the sprinkler because I was so hot. They really should not hog the sprinkler. Adults runners need sprinklers too. Especially dehydrated ones.

2. Today is the second day in a week that I almost ran out of gas. I have been getting down to one mile left in the tank (no kidding) before rolling up to the gas station on fumes. I have no excuse for that either except that getting gas bores me and I hate spending $70 on gas that used to be $.99 when I was growing up. The good old days.

3. I have a very bad habit of taking all the crap out of my car and putting it on the ladder in the garage. This week Ken told me there was a new rule and that no half eaten PB&J sandwiches were allowed to be left in the garage. So uptight!

He thinks that is why we have mice in the garage. I don’t know what he is talking about.

4. I use expired coupons and act like I don't know they are expired (lots of times they don’t check anyway). By the way, I read this interesting thing the other day about the top things grocery store clerks want you to know such as, “Cashiers are totally checking out your eating habits even though we pretend not to.”

5. I secretly like getting stuck when there is a train crossing. It gives me an excuse to be late, and to put my car in park and just BREATHE. Something I need to do more of.

6. I bought a new bathing suit (for lap swimming) and even though I followed the size chart, it’s too small. I still wear it even if it slightly goes up my butt. The funny thing is that when I fart in the water, I swear the air bubble stays in my suit. It is the weirdest thing. I have to stop at the end of the lane and let the air out. I am not just saying that so that I will not have to share a lane with you at the pool. (Sorry, I REALLY wish I had a picture of the fart bubble. It is hysterical).

7. Being a parent has actually made me a much more patient person. This is because if I become super impatient I am afraid I will lash out and that crazy vein in my neck will swell up and my face will turn red and I will say things I will regret. So, at 6:00 a.m. on Monday as we were leaving for the Bolder Boulder 10K I was proud of how patient I was.

Emma’s cape was supposed to look like this:

She came downstairs and had left it on her bed all night and it looked like this (still not sure how this happened. Clearly there was a party in her bed):

I did not lose my mind and yell and play the martyr: “Why do I always have to fix everything?? Why the hell would you sleep with this cape in your bed??” I just quietly fixed it and thought about the beer I would drink at 9:00 a.m. when I finished the race. Proud parenting moment! (well, not drinking at 9:00 a.m, but the patience thing).

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Your turn. Give me on really good confession from the week. (Now that summer is here and the kids are home full time, I think I am going to have a lot of these). Best one gets an SUAR sticker and a $10 iTunes gift card. “Contest” ends Friday.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Another week of training. Another week of eating a million calories (not all of them healthy – but who gives a crap?). Another week of trying to keep my eyes open in the afternoon. Someone training for an Ironman might often be mistaken for someone who has narcolepsy. It’s possible.

I feel great coming off of the week. I find it amazing how the body adapts. I spent 6.5 hours on my bike in the past two days and I can still function and my crotch is in one piece. I can probably do the moonwalk or do Double Dutch if I really wanted.

I did today’s ride solo. While yesterday’s ride was the front half of the Boulder course, today’s was the last half. Here are some of the views. I am not sure why the bike course goes through Kansas.

Just to prove to you I have a life outside of training, here are some other highlights from the week.

Shopping with Emma who enjoys posing on the cart. I am not sure where she learned to be such a ham because I never do things like that. I mean I NEVER stood on the back of the cart when I was six and made the whole thing fall over on me. Never.

I went to meet the Helly Hansen people in Boulder. Helly is up and coming in the world of running and outdoor gear. Their 2015 line will feature some really stylish pieces that have cutting edge wicking technology. They are also the official gear sponsor of the Bolder Boulder.

They sent me this Feather Jacket recently, which I really love. I’ve worn in for both cycling and running.

Afterwards, I got rather busy and almost ran out of gas.

I saw mama and ducklings out back. I could watch these little ones all day. It is so cute how they cling to their mama. Do you ever think she needs a duck’s night out? Just to get away?

We had a dog cuddle session. Heidi needs to learn she is not a lap dog.

I made some Pro Cakes from a mix that the Pro Cake people sent over. These are gluten free and unlike most pancakes are packed with protein. I have made them now after two of my long workouts. They have a nutty and satisfying taste (I know this because I tasted them plain before covering them in Mrs. Butterworth's syrup). Doesn’t everyone wear their down coat inside in May? (I am always freezing after I run).

My mom, Emma and I made super hero capes and headbands for tomorrow’s Bolder Boulder 10K. I thought these turned out the cutest.

Egg sandwich or pancakes? I usually go for the egg sandwich. Today I had both.

Do you get cold after runs or is it just me?

Tell me a story about when you ran out of gas.

What’s the last “unhealthy” thing you ate? Dots and Kettle Corn in bed last night.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Maybe it is just me, but I get a fair amount of unsolicited advice from strangers. Probably because I am always looking confused or like I don't know what I’m doing. Historically, I have found the most advice comes when:

You are pregnant. Examples:

You have no idea how your life will change. Let me tell you the ways.

You should have a natural birth. Medications hurt babies.

You should have drugs when you give birth. Then you can forget about the pain and enjoy the experience.

Are you sure you’re not having twins? You’re pretty huge.

My labor and delivery was so rough, I was ripped in half. It was a bloodbath. I hope yours isn’t like that.

You should breastfeed until your child is five. That way they get the best nutrients and are smarter.

Do you really use disposable diapers? Do you know how environmentally grotesque that is?

Do you really use cloth diapers? Do you know how much water it takes to wash ONE of those diapers?

Have you had your child tested for ADHD? He/she seems a bit out of hand.

You are running. Examples:

Running will ruin your knees!

Did you know running can kill you? I heard someone died at the finish line of a marathon this year.

Your form is wrong. Let me instruct you in the correct way to do things.

Next time you should run a shorter marathon.

Wow, you run a lot? You really don’t look like a runner. I thought they were skinny. Maybe you are doing it wrong.

Why do you run races if you don’t win? You should really try to win next time.

You are checking out at a store. Examples:

Wow, are you really buying these chips? They have a lot of fat in them, and I don’t think you need anymore of that.

Who are you sending that card too? It’s really sweet. I never send pre-made cards. It’s tacky. I always make my own.

Oh, I see it is that time of the month for you. Do you want to pick up some Hershey bars as well?

I’m glad to see you are using condoms as protection. I hope one of you is also on the pill because that is the most effective technique.

I really wish I could eat all this gluten like you do. It gives me gas and bloating. It’s really not good for you. You should consider giving it up.

You are with family members. Examples:

Oh, honey. You probably don’t need second helping of mashed potatoes.

You run/train too much. You should enjoy life more and do other things.

Have you started applying for any jobs yet? I hear Wal-mart is hiring.

You should really have more kids before your eggs dry up. Your dad and I were like rabbits.

My favorite story about unsolicited advice actually didn’t happen to me – it happened to Ken. He had been swimming laps at our local rec facility and went into the changing room. A man who was about 75 years old decided he needed to give Ken some pointers on how to improve his swimming form. Completely naked, he got in front of Ken and demonstrated how to “glide” when you swim. All Ken recalls was a lot of flopping of this man’s private parts. He was pretty scarred from the whole incident. Unsolicited advice is one thing, but giving unsolicited advice while naked? That’s a sin.

Let’s face it. There is a time and a place for unsolicited advice. For example, if I am going on a trail run and a runner coming off the trail tells me to be careful because he saw 5 mountain lions and 3 rattlesnakes, this is very valuable advice. But, other than that, I will ask if I need/want advice.

Monday, May 19, 2014

You know what I just realized (not sure why it took me this long)? When all is said and done (providing I DO get it done and finish IM Boulder on August 3), I will have completed two Ironmans (Ironmens?) in ten months. For a girl like me who had never run further than a slow 10K as of five years ago, I’m feeling a bit sassy (even if I do sometimes wonder what the hell I am doing).

On a 90 mile bike ride on most of the Boulder IM course yesterday I was reminded what a bitch of a race this is going to be. Not to say that any IM is “easy,” but there is definitely a spectrum of difficulty for these races.

Every time we do a race of the same distance, we want to better our time and maybe PR (<well, not every time, but for me a good bit of the time). My time at IM Florida was 12:50. I will kill myself to beat that time, but I am not sure given the course and conditions that I’ll make it.

All of this simply means I will have to train better and smarter. I’ll have to prepare for heat and be extra careful about hydration and sodium intake.

Some of you have been asking about my fueling. I am really focusing on perfecting this for race day. My training group (Fast Forward) put on an amazing nutrition seminar for IM athletes. Basically, how you fuel (or don’t fuel) WILL make or break you on race day.

I think I did a good job of fueling at IMFL, but I know there is room for improvement. I really focused on getting in enough calories, but neglected to count milligrams of sodium. That was a big mistake and likely why I became so nauseous during the run (either that or the fact that I had just ridden my bike 112 miles and was trying to run a marathon – not something body really embraces). Here is me having a little party on the run before I hit the depths of near-barfing and despair.

My general rule of thumb for my size -5’ 5”, 113 pounds (Note these amounts are for IM training/racing and would vary with race distance and type).

I tried to hit this on my 90 mile bike yesterday. I took in 1500 calories (two honey stinger waffles with almond butter, 1 PB&J, 1 oatmeal cookie/cream pie, 1 pack Clif Bloks, 1 gel, 4 scoops Powerbar Perform). I did the solid foods at the beginning and less solid towards the end. I was only able to get in a total of 84 ounces of fluid and I totally failed at my sodium, taking in only 1600 mg total. I really should have taken my Salt Stick tabs. Lesson learned. By the way, symptoms that you are not getting enough sodium include sloshy belly, nausea, bloating. And don’t forget to take liquid with sodium!

Post ride I crammed an egg sandwich in my face, went out for a quick swim, then watched Lifetime. I texted my friend Leigh who rode the 90 with me and told her I was stuffing my face - she responded:

“I just ate a whole chicken.”

This is what Ironman training does to you. Instead of eating a drumstick, you eat a whole chicken.

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Favorite fuel for training/racing? While biking, I love REAL food like sandwiches, but at a certain point this can get hard to digest, and I don’t want to take in that stuff too close to running. So, I start with the solid stuff and move more towards gels. For running, I mainly stick to gels (GU brand) because I can get them down easier and they seem to work for me.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Yesterday I could no longer take the ugly- ass look of my feet, so I splurged and went in for a pedicure. To a runner I am convinced there is nothing as heavenly as someone rubbing your feet. The result was fantastic. I will never have pretty feet, but I redeemed them somewhat:

Then, guess what? Today after my swim my big toe felt funny. (GROSS alert for picture below because some people yelled at me for not having a warning). It felt funny because the freaking big toe nail was separating itself from the rest of the toe (damn anti-social toenail). So, you mean to tell me that I – queen of frugal-ville – splurge on a $25 pedicure only to have it sabotaged the very next day by a toenail malfunction? No way, sister. This cannot be.

So, I did what any person in my shoes with this type of FWP would do. I crazy-glued the nail back on. Voila – $25 saved. Brilliant.

This got me to thinking about the other ways that we runners can be frugal. If anyone tries to tell you that running is inexpensive because all you need are shoes and shorts, punch them in the crotch. Running is a money sucking pit. There are entry fees, watches, shoes, shorts, shirts, bras, gels, fuel belts, and hats. Don’t even get me started on 13.1 and 26.2 stickers, massages, pedicures, crazy glue and compression socks. And, if you are really hard-core, there might just be a tattoo involved.

So, how can a runner girl or guy save a buck or two, aside from gluing on your toenails? Here are 6 sure fire ways:

1. DIY Arm Warmers: Arm warmers are not cheap. I am not sure why two little sleeves that cover you from your armpit to your wrist cost $25, but they do. A couple of years ago I was training for the Boulder 70.3 and went to Breckenridge for the week. Being summertime, I forgot my arm warmers, but knew I would need them since the early mornings in the mountains can be about 35 degrees. I went to Wal-Mart, bought a pair of ugly men’s black socks, cut off the socks at the ankles and PRESTO, I had a new pair of arm warmers (see full tutorial HERE).

Total cost? $2.50.

This would also be a great idea on race day. Wear your socks arm warmers at the beginning when you are nipply, then just toss them aside later.

2. Find Shoes Online: Never pay full price for shoes. Go to Dicks or somewhere, find the right shoe and fit and then come home and find them online and get free shipping. I know I am not supporting my local running stores. Sorry. But I buy other stuff there, I promise.

You can usually save quite a bit this way. Places like ShoeBuy.com and Onlineshoes.com usually have coupon codes. Road Runner Sports also has a great VIP program which gives you lots of discounts.

3. Substitute Gels/Chews/Energy bars: At $1 a piece, gels are expensive. Same with those fancy chews, chomps, Bloks and energy bars. Try replacing these treats with candy like jelly beans, Dots (my favorite) and gummy bears. Consider making your own protein bars (some good recipes HERE). Some people recommend eating honey or jelly instead of gels, but that kind of grosses me out, personally.

Just be aware if you substitute, you may be not getting the same number of electrolytes and sodium, so be sure to factor that in.

4. Eliminate or Lessen Race Entry Fees: Race fees have gotten out of hand. The only reason I don’t race more is I can’t stinking afford it. You can offset race costs in a few ways. Consider volunteering at a race you want to do in the future. A lot of times you will be comped a race entry the fee will be discounted. If you have a blog, write the race director and ask for a comped entry in exchange for your review of the race. I did this last year when I wanted to do a 70.3 race in Denver. It was $200 so I asked the race director if he could reduce the fee if I posted something on my social media sites about the race. He gave me 50% off. Also, look at Groupon and other online sites for coupons and deals.

5. Stop Getting Hurt: Injuries are expensive. They require lots of acronyms like PT and MRIs. They often involve massages, crutches, boots, psychotherapy and pool memberships (because this will be the only activity you can do). By-pass all of these expenses by not getting hurt in the first place. This is easier said than done from someone with quite the laundry list of running injuries. My best advice is simple - Take your recovery very seriously. Cross train. Take rest days. Vary your runs – some days are speedy some days are long run pace. More injury prevention tips HERE.

An injured runner watching paintballing. No fun. And, expensive.

6. Give Shoes Some TLC: Can you believe we are supposed to replace shoes every 400 miles or so? I’m not always the best about doing this, since I don’t keep OCD track of how many miles are on my shoes and I tend to rotate lots of different shoes (trail, track, etc.). It’s probably a good idea to grab a Sharpie when you get new shoes and just write the date of purchase on the side of the shoe.

I do know that to prolong the life of your shoes you can do a couple of things – 1. only wear them to run, not to walk around Forever XXI for 2 hours or traipsed around Disneyland for 3 days 2. store them in a cool/dry place. When shoes get too hot or cold they can break down more quickly. 3. Don't put them in the dryer.

There you go. Now just take all the money you save and send it to me so I can buy some things for myself.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

I mentioned in my last post that I did a 5K this weekend. This is a community/fundraiser event our family does every year (The Happy Smackah). My kids both really wanted to join in as usual because lots of their friends are there, not to mention my son got extra credit for signing up (what?).

Anyway, tell me if you ever have this happen with your kids.

Race morning comes. Daughter, 13 years old, is grumpy. She can’t find her headphones, her stomach hurts, she say she’s not going to run. I know her and this can be a pattern. She says she’s going to do something, then the day comes and she changes her mind because she doesn’t feel like it. I am really trying to teach my kids commitment, follow through and doing what you say you are going to do. I told her, fine, don’t do it, but you owe me the entry fee and you can’t play volleyball later (ouch, harsh mama). What? But, she thinks she’ll feel fine later to play volleyball. Hmmm…

Long story short, she ended up doing the race and her attitude? Well, it had flipped 180 degrees. We talked about it. I asked her to do some thinking about what happens to her in these instances – why she loses confidence and shuts down.

Me: So, give it some thought because I know you really like these events, don’t you?Her: Yeah.Me: Then why do you go through this?Her: Well, it’s just that I think I want to do it, then I get to the start line and realize I don’t even really like to run. (<what? is this possible?)Me: That’s okay. Believe it or not lots of people don’t like to run. They just like how they feel when it's done.Her:Not you. Me: WTF! Oh yeah, especially me. I am usually not loving every second of running. But, I love how I feel afterwards, and that is the feeling I chase.

So…we have the Bolder Boulder 10K coming up on Memorial Day. We run it as a family every year. Last year, we had a breakthrough, Emma and I. At the start Emma said, “I am going to take it one mile at a time. I am not going to think about how much further I have to go.”

She ran really strong the first three miles, and said, “I am just having confidence in myself. That is the difference between this year and last year.” (the last year was one big whine fest) YES! She loves the energy of the event, and eventually her head got in the game and she got behind herself.

Finish line last year with my friend Kathy, Emma and me:

Isn’t that what it’s all about? Just getting and staying behind ourselves? It’s like the Henry Ford quote (and why I drive a Ford – not really),

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”

Friends, do not ever underestimate the power of your mind. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

By the way, if you are looking for an amazing family running event, the Bolder Boulder is for you. 50,000 of your closest friends will join you for this race complete with sprinklers, bacon and marshmallows at mile 3 (I love bacon, but not while running – that would mean certain shart action for me), belly dancers, and beer at the finish (or soda if you are a kid or not a lush like me).

And, if you are not a running family, no worries. Tons of people walk or walk/run the race. The fun is just being there, welcoming in the summer, honoring our service men and women and spending time in one the best cities imaginable (Boulder).

Trying to think of costumes for this year. Any ideas?

Do you run races with your kids? Ever had experiences similar to mine? Do you kids even like to run? My kids don’t really like running, especially distance. I never ran when I was their age and don’t remember liking it much either.

Do you eat “unofficial” food off the sidelines of races? No, not usually. I did eat some oranges at the LA Marathon because I was suffering and thought they might make me come alive, but they didn’t.

Ever run in a costume? Only at the Bolder Boulder. We’ve done cave girls, tutus and hula outfits. Might be super heroes this year. Or tampons.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Another week of Ironman training has come and gone. I have a love/hate relationship with training. In fact, I have a love/hate relationship with many things. Does that make me weird? Here’s what I mean – I love the training for the most part, then I get really bitchy when I feel rushed and tired all the time. Just like I love to run, but then running is hard and I suffer.

This week I travelled 142.14 miles as I swam, biked and ran. It took me about 13 hours. I did not do it all at once, and I don’t recommend that anyway except when I am doing the actual Ironman. 9 total workouts – 3 swims, 3 bikes, 3 runs. I like to keep it equal and not play favorites.

Highlights of the Week (HOTW):

Got a 5K PR at a local race: 22:56 (7:14 average, which for me is ridiculously fast and I almost threw up, which I think shows my grit).

Rode for 80 miles on my bike (most of the Ironman Boulder course). I was alone for half of it in the rain and wind, but I did not cry.

Stocked my pantry (btw, you can find GREAT deals at runningwarehouse.com with free two day shipping).

Played soccer with Heidi (do not even pretend you don’t recognize her from Air Bud, the movie)

Watched Emma’s choir perform (love this song)

Went to Costco and got a vat of kettle corn (I am showing you the Grey Goose so you have an idea of how big the bag is)

Found a new favorite song (and, not just because it has the “run” in it)

Got a Mother’s Day basket from Ken (alcohol + candy = happiness)

Lowlights of the Week (LOTW):

Almost got eaten by a mountain lion two days before Mother’s Day. Well, I don’t want to embellish – but this was scary. Joie and I were about 4 miles into our trail run. It was very remote and nobody else was out there. We saw on the trail where it look like a deer had been dragged through the grass and over the trail. It had happened in the recent past – we could tell by the mud. I took this to mean that Mr. Lion was nearby and might want to eat me.

Realized how freaking hard the Boulder Ironman course is, well at least the bike part. However, I guess the words “hard” and “Ironman” go together no matter what course it is. Easy Ironman? <oxymoron, you moron. (Oh, and by the looks of this, the course is just shy of 113 miles – WTF?)

Found a dead mouse in the garage, which means his friends and family are probably living in my bed or something. I did CPR, but to no avail.

Realized I had $14 in library fines. True story.

Realized the roof is still leaking and Sam needs his wisdom teeth out. Ka-ching!! Children and houses are money pits. But, I still love them.

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Give me a highlight and lowlight. Feel free to include First World problems.

Ever had a mouse/insect problem in your house? When we first moved into our house over 10 years ago, we found out there were bees living in the roof and walls. Had to have real live bee keeper people come in and cut holes in the ceiling to remove hundreds of pounds of honey comb. Ka-ching!

What’s the last best thing you bought at Costco? I am really excited about the kettle corn, but also this new fresh veggie stir fry kit you find in the refrigerated produce section.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Compression socks enter the scene! All the cool athletes are wearing them! You may ask yourself – do they really do anything, or is this just a placebo? I may ask you, does it really matter if you feel better when you wear them?
I happen to love compression socks. They serve a dual purpose for me. First, they keep my legs warm on those iffy days when I think it might be too warm for tights, but not quite warm enough for shorts. Secondly, I swear they keep my legs in tact (as opposed to disintegrating) when I run and I recover better. But, don’t listen to me. Here are some other perceived benefits from those who wear compression and some other miscellaneous reasons to own a pair:

Decrease in muscle soreness and fatigue

Increase in blood flow

Faster recovery

Reduction in swelling (good idea to wear them for your 12 hours shifts at Wal-mart)

Meb wore them when he won Boston this year

On trails, dirt gets on your socks, not your legs

When you have to pee/poop and go in the bushes, you get fewer scratches (and maybe less poison ivy)

Bright colors scare off mountain lions – very important on trail runs like the one I took today that had this encouraging sign:

I actually think that cool cat (pussy?) above looks very friendly and not at all ready to eat a runner.

Anyway, PRO Compression sent me some socks to try out (I already have a pair of theirs and love them, but I thought the blue ones might feel different).

I wore them out on my 10 mile run today in anticipation of a LONG training weekend coming up.

With all of the Ironman training volume I am experiencing right now, I will take all the help I can get with performance and recovery. So, I wear these babies while training (even on my long bike rides sometimes), then I keep them on most of the day after a long workout. I hate ice baths, so this is like my ice bath substitute, which is probably erroneous thinking, but so what?

Want a pair? There are three ways to enter below. The winner will get a code to pick a pair of socks or sleeves from PRO Compression. Giveaway ends on May 14th. US addresses only please.

Don’t want to wait to win the giveaway? Go buy your socks NOW here because when you enter the “SHUT” promo code at checkout, you will get 40% off and free shipping. A seriously good deal if you ask me.

Have a swell weekend!

SUAR

PS: PRO Compression sent me these socks free of charge and provided the giveaway item. As always, all opinions are my own.